SF Great Adventure in early October, & Coney Island?

We go to SF Great Adventure about once a year, but we have never went for The Halloween event. We usually visit in the spring or early summer. As far as Coney Island, we visited for the first time ever this summer. We bought Platinum wristbands for $70 a piece. Those platinum wristbands give you 4 hours of unlimited rides and 5 extreme rides. We used our 5 extreme rides for 3 rides on Cyclone and 2 on Thunderbolt. The other extreme rides are the go carts, and 2 others that we passed on. We wanted multiple rides on Cyclone and Thunderbolt, so that's how we used them. I do recommend giving Thunderbolt a ride. People either love it or hate it; I loved it. All the 4 coasters and rides are included in that Platinum wristbands for 4 hours. Also Deno's Wonder Wheel is not included. We did Deno's Wonder Wheel after our wristbands expired. I think it was like $8 or $9 a person. Also at Deno's there's a very good dark ride we did and another Kiddie Coaster for rode for the credit. Coney Island is a very expensive place, but should be on every enthusiast's bucket list.

That Sunday it's 11am - 11pm and Monday is 11am - 10pm. If you're going to be there two days, and you get there AT park opening time, you shouldn't need the wristbands.

I've been a season pass holder at the park for a better part of the last...12 years? (man that's a long ass time!) Every October, the place gets packed. It's definitely more packed at night as some people flock for the horror attractions and such. It also gets harder to navigate the park with the added attractions, crowds, and fog machines. However, riding at night seriously makes rides more intense, and I suggest staying one of the nights until dark. As always in October, bring a good sweatshirt because it could be oddly cold that time in Jackson, and you can always take clothes off and snag a locker for a bit.

Again, it does get packed at night, so maybe consider getting the flash pass on Sunday and doing the whole day/night, get your fill of multiple rides on everything while passing the crowds. Then take it easy on Monday and maybe leave early to get a head start on your drive up to Coney Island. The huge key to even needing a flash pass is getting there at opening and riding the rides you want in the first hour or two of operation.

I've never been to Coney Island, shame on me, but I've heard it's insanely expensive. I agree with frontrow though, it's probably something you want to experience. It's on my list for sure!

Thanks for the tips so far, Mugen & Frontrow.

Mugen: does the Fright Fest setup at Great Adventure interfere with or shut down any noteworthy rides? I do aim to be there when the gates open. Do they let people through the gates before the official 11am opening? SFDK near me always does, but I know SFMM usually doesn't, so I guess it varies at different Six Flags parks.

Frontrow: I'm wondering, what is it about Thunderbolt that makes some people hate it? Is it a headbanger, or nausea-inducing or something? I've been to Coney Island before, but it was about 30 years ago when I was in junior high or high school, so it's time for another visit, and my husband hasn't been there.
He's not quite as much of a roller coaster enthusiast as I am, so after a day and a half at Great Adventure, he might not want to go on $70 worth of rides at Coney Island (though that doesn't really pay for very many apparently!) I suppose I could get a wristband, and he could just pay for a few rides. I think we'll probably go on the one Wednesday that it is open 12-6, so hopefully, it won't be too crowded.

Thunderbolt has very odd restraints. It's a huge lap bar that comes down from over your head with 2 seat belt like straps over your shoulders. Most people complain of how the restraints dig into your shoulders during the ride. The ride is not silky smooth, but not rough either. It's bunny hops have ejector air time. I was actually very impressed with it, but I'm the minority. I think it's worth giving it a try. I liked the front more than the back seat.

I rode both the thunderbolt & the cyclone a month ago(last week in august).In addition to the $10 price tag they also have the policy of no waiting for any particular seat.You have to take whatever seat is available.They will not let you wait for any particular seat.

Astroland closed at the end of the 2008 season.when astroland was there they allowed you to wait for the front or back seat.Also when astroland was there you were able to pay a couple of dollars in cash for a reride without having to leave your seat but you can not do that anymore now.if you want a reride you have to exit go around fork over another $10 just for a reride.when i was there a month ago i wanted to ride in the back seat but they didn,t let me & i had to take a middle seat against my will.

skc2000

* This post was modified at 9/28/16 7:28:37 AM *

glutton said:

Thanks for the tips so far, Mugen & Frontrow.

Mugen: does the Fright Fest setup at Great Adventure interfere with or shut down any noteworthy rides? I do aim to be there when the gates open. Do they let people through the gates before the official 11am opening? SFDK near me always does, but I know SFMM usually doesn't, so I guess it varies at different Six Flags parks.

Frontrow: I'm wondering, what is it about Thunderbolt that makes some people hate it? Is it a headbanger, or nausea-inducing or something? I've been to Coney Island before, but it was about 30 years ago when I was in junior high or high school, so it's time for another visit, and my husband hasn't been there.
He's not quite as much of a roller coaster enthusiast as I am, so after a day and a half at Great Adventure, he might not want to go on $70 worth of rides at Coney Island (though that doesn't really pay for very many apparently!) I suppose I could get a wristband, and he could just pay for a few rides. I think we'll probably go on the one Wednesday that it is open 12-6, so hopefully, it won't be too crowded.

To my knowledge Fright Fest does not shut down any coasters. I can't think off the top of my head if it affects any other ride. I don't think it does. They just add haunted houses to areas that may have not been used, or big path spaces. The rides that probably won't be in operation are Congo River Rapids and the Log Flume. They list on the ticket kiosk windows what rides aren't functioning for the day as well.

As far as gate opening and when you can actually ride the rides, that changes every year it seems. You're right as well, it is different at all six flags parks. Great Adventure was doing a 10-15 minute early entry. Meaning you get through security, then the ticket gate, and you'd be able to head to the rides a little bit before people without season passes. People without season passes would have to wait at the ticket check gate until opening time. Most people have season passes though, and still, it's only 15 minutes at most. Also, Nitro is notorious for not being ready in the early morning, but even with that said, if you go to right side of the park right away, Nitro, Batman: The Ride, Skull Mountain, you could easily get all 3 within 20 minutes. I usually sit on Nitro for the first 20 minutes, then after a few rides on that, everything else is icing on the cake!

Most of the rides are to the left, and if you head that way, Kingda Ka should be first on your list, then Superman, if you want to get the rides where the wait would be the longest later on.

Hope all this helps!

skc2000 said:

I rode both the thunderbolt & the cyclone a month ago(last week in august).In addition to the $10 price tag they also have the policy of no waiting for any particular seat.You have to take whatever seat is available.They will not let you wait for any particular seat.

Astroland closed at the end of the 2008 season.when astroland was there they allowed you to wait for the front or back seat.Also when astroland was there you were able to pay a couple of dollars in cash for a reride without having to leave your seat but you can not do that anymore now.if you want a reride you have to exit go around fork over another $10 just for a reride.when i was there a month ago i wanted to ride in the back seat but they didn,t let me & i had to take a middle seat against my will.

skc2000

I'm glad you brought that up. During our visit the area and Boardwalk was loaded with people, but very few were riding rides or coasters. Almost everything was a walk on. Our first ride on Cyclone was in the middle. We then kind of came up with a plan. We would hang out right by the entrance and wouldn't enter until they would dispatch a train. Then we would enter and scan our wristbands, which made us first in line. We got a front seat ride and a back seat ride like that.